Careful Articulation
by DianaHewie
Summary: A chance encounter in the City of Rust, a different perspective, and a carefully set trap. *Spoilers for Drakengard 2*


It didn't matter what they said. Their words didn't matter. They didn't matter. Nobody mattered. Except for her, and he would free her. He swore it.

The City of Rust was said to be the source to go to for information. While it didn't tell him everything he needed, what he found was enough. It would be enough to get him a little closer to the Seals. Closer to her.

He crouched down, to where he couldn't be seen. From a distance, he watched the scene unfold. His lost prey had finally come out of hiding. A District's Guardian, the one that evaded him before, the one he had to kill. With him now was a young man, one that he didn't recognize, and the young woman he had carried a burning, bitter resentment for for the last eighteen years.

It seemed as if the two men knew each other. He couldn't tell what they were saying but their tone was pleasant, as if they had known each other for a long time. The girl remained quiet.

He made sure to pay extra attention to her. The sight of her, even now, angered him. He wanted to see her suffer. He wanted her to feel the pain. Wanted her to regret. Repent.

The bandits were long gone. He had watched them run back the way they had come, screaming about a gruesome sight and a "monster." He smirked at their stupidity. Monster? That man was no monster. He was just a coward, one that deserved to die. _Needed_ to die.

For a moment, he had debated whether or not to ambush them right where they were. They were still in the alley way, just the three of them. Alone. They had nowhere to run. He decided against it. The element of surprise was key.

He crept back into the shadows and moved down the alley way. They had to leave the city at some point, and he knew they would least expect an attack then. They wouldn't be prepared. That was when he would strike.

He waited, before the gates leading in and out of the city. He was careful to stay in the shadows. One slip-up and his carefully articulated plan would break apart. It wasn't that he couldn't build a path around any mishaps involving them, but it would be a set-back and he had lost enough time already.

On the other side, he saw them come around the corner. They were running for the gates. It was perfect timing.

He braced himself for the attack. He had been waiting for this for so long. He wanted to see the Lady Manah's blood on the cold concrete, running through the cracks, making her body bleed out. He wanted to finally kill the one that could not be killed, the undying "Masked Man," and he would do it in front of their friend, the boy with auburn hair. Of course, he would destroy him too, if he caused any trouble. But his focus was not on him just yet. He had done nothing to earn his hatred and in return, he would not have to taste the steel of his sword.

Footsteps broke his thoughts. Soldiers filed into the courtyard, bringing an ogre with them. He hadn't considered an ambush—other than this own—in the equation. He watched for a few short moments as the soldiers swarmed around them, creating a pattern of attack. They met them with equal force, with more will power and determination.

He knew that if he attacked now, there was a chance they would escape him. Again. He would not stand for that.

Taking a back route, he decided to attack once they had made it outside the gate. The ogre would buy him enough time to set up a plan, allowing him time to decide what he would do.

He waited up against the wall until he saw them make their way through the horde of soldiers. The soldiers' numbers were dwindling and soon, he saw the three of them, standing right outside the gate. A small handful of soldiers crept out of hiding, closing in on them. He hadn't noticed them before and the fact that they hadn't come after him seemed like a miracle on its own.

While the few soldiers posed a small threat, he was not willing to take the chance. He refused to lose them to a group of petty soldiers. No, if anyone killed them, it would be him.

He stepped out, into the open, sneaking up from behind. The girl's attention swiveled. She was looking past the soldiers, past their swords, and at the dark figure drifting in an out of sight. She had noticed him. She had finally noticed him. The look on her face was that of fear, and of disbelief. He smiled. He couldn't help but smile now. The satisfaction he felt, seeing the look on her face, the fear that he had been waiting for for years, made everything he had done and endured finally feel worth it.

The soldiers took notice. They felt his presence. When they paused to confront him, he took the opportunity.

The worn gore-stained sword cut through them, the same as if they had been paper, severing the top halves from the bottom. The splattered blood mimicked the motion of the weapon, following its path before staining the stone below.

The girl was certain now. It was him. Him. The man that had taken her captive. The man she saw in her nightmares. The man that had made her life a living hell.

His smile widened into a grin, seeing the fear overtake her. Adrenaline flooded through him. He felt a twisted sense of pleasure. Her unfortunate fate felt so close that he could almost reach out and grab hold of it, squeezing it until it suffocated and gushed with the blood that ran through her veins and gave her heart a reason to beat.

From the cliffside, a blue dragon emerged. He hadn't considered the possibility of another dragon in the area either, and certainly not the idea that the dragon belonged with them. His surprise, and momentary hesitation, allowed just enough time for them to elude him, and he was powerless to stop them.

He silently cursed himself for making such a foolish mistake but as he stared after them, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the same dragon before, somewhere, for one reason or another.


End file.
